how can we become people specific? what can we do for humanity? 2

[irfansiddiqui]

Hi All,

This is not a technical question, but I thought it is worth to ask for....
I am a mechanical engineer, basically an HVAC and plumbing designer for building services..
I just wanted to ask a question, HOW CAN I DO SOMETHING FOR HUMANITY USING MY FIELD(i.e. mechanical design engineer for building services) ???
I was doing some brain storming, I had discussions with some of the friends with same background, but still I am not sure how i can relate my field, or how I can become people specific...??
like bill gates, I don't think his goal of life was to become the richest person in the world, but his product was very people specific, he dreamed that one day every house will be having a computer,,, he changed people;s life, he contributed to the community,,,, money is a by-product,,
but can we relate our field like wise?
any ideas or suggestions....?

 

[bridgebuster]

You could volunteer with Engineers Without Borders. There's also a group called Hermandad Inc that builds water and sanitation projects for the poor in the Dominican Republic.

While it's worth that we use our time, talent, and treasure for the good of others, keep in mind that very few people achieve greatness. However, we can do little things for people and they go a long way to help change the world around us.

 

[dhengr]

Irfansiddiqui:
Solve one of their pressing humanitarian problems; clean water, sanitary waste treatment and disposal, cooling and heating of grass huts, growing and processing their own food supply, etc.; in a simple, economical, fashion with materials and methods which the people can build and manage by themselves, without some great investment or bureaucracy. Many small, inexpensive improvements can have the same effect as one expensive development which takes years and many dollars to perfect. Most of us will never make one single gigantic improvement or finding in a single pen stroke. Every time you do a design problem, ask yourself, how can I do this better, more simply, less costly, how would this thinking solve a similar problem in a clean, clever way, how can I put this together in a simpler, cleaner way, etc. This kind of thinking might always be floating around in the back of your mind. Don’t just do your design problems by picking parts from catalogs, and sizing them from the charts and graphs. This approach to design is no simple matter, it requires some serious thinking, some serious imagination and intuition, some serious time to put the pieces in the proper order, and every so often something will fall out of thin air, from the total effort. We can also connect to humanity, in general, by doing the very best design we can, in our every day work situation. That means, not always settling on the easiest design from our own standpoint, but rather, trying to achieve the best possible solution in terms of first cost, maintenance and longevity, life-cycle cost, etc.